1 Samuel 28:22

_NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY THEE, HEARKEN THOU ALSO UNTO THE VOICE OF THINE HANDMAID, AND LET ME SET A MORSEL OF BREAD BEFORE THEE; AND EAT, THAT THOU MAYEST HAVE STRENGTH, WHEN THOU GOEST ON THY WAY._ Hearken ... unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee. Her great and hospitable attentions to the king probably arose neither from humanity nor respect alone, but from a prudential regard to her own safety, lest, if he were found dead in her house, she might be implicated in the charge of his blood....

20-25 Those that expect any good counsel or comfort, otherwise than from God, and in the way of his institutions, will be as wretchedly disappointed as Saul. Though terrified even to despair, he was not humbled. He confessed not his sins, offered no sacrifices, and presented no supplications. He does not seem to have cared about his sons or his people, or to have attempted any escape; but in sullen despair he rushed upon his doom. God sets up a few such beacons, to warn men not to stifle convictions, or despise his word. But while one repenting thought remains, let no sinner suppose himself in this case. Let him humble himself before God, determined to live and die beseeching his favour, and he will succeed....

DOWNFALL AND DEATH OF SAUL (CHS. 28-31.) THE PHILISTINES GATHER TOGETHER FOR WAR. DISTRESS OF SAUL, AND VISIT TO THE WITCH OF ENDOR (1 Samuel 28:1.). EXPOSITION ACHISH SUMMONS DAVID TO JOIN HIM IN THE WAR AGAINST ISRAEL (1 Samuel

NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY THEE, HEARKEN THOU ALSO UNTO THE VOICE OF THINE HANDMAID,.... She argues, that as she had hearkened unto him to the endangering of her life, it was but reasonable, and might be expected, that he would hearken to her in a case that would be to the preservation of his life: AND LET ME SET A MORSEL OF BREAD BEFORE THEE, AND EAT, THAT THOU MAYEST HAVE STRENGTH, WHEN THOU GOEST ON THY WAY; which she might urge, not merely out of respect to the king, but for her own sake, lest should he die in her house, she might be taken up, not only for a witch, but as being accessory to the death of the king; and therefore she moves, that he would take some food for refreshment of nature, that he might be able to depart her house, and go on his way to his army....

7. SAUL AND THE WITCH AT ENDOR CHAPTER 28 _ 1. David fully joined to Achish (1 Samuel 28:1)_ 2. Forsaken Saul (1 Samuel 28:3) 3. The command to seek a witch (1 Samuel 28:7) 4. Saul's visit to Endor (1 Samuel 28:8) 5. Samuel's solemn message (1 Samuel 28:15) 6. Saul's despair and departure (1 Samuel 28:21) Saul's final plunge towards his awful end is the main topic of this chapter. Israel had ad

1 SAMUEL 28:2 is continued by 1 Samuel 29:1; the _connexion is_ broken by the insertion of 1 SAMUEL 28:3. SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR. This section interrupts the connexion; moreover, it would come naturally immediately before the battle of Gilboa. Saul is at Gilboa (p. 29) in 284. Opinions are divided; some hold that this section is from another source (E) than the bulk of 1 Samuel 25-31, and some that it is from the same source (J), that originally it stood in that document immediately before ch. 31, and that it has got into the wrong place, because it was omitted from an edition of _Samuel,_ and reinserted in a later edition (see p. 273)....

Saul entertained by the woman 20. _all along_ HIS FULL LENGTH, lit. "the fulness of his stature." Terror of mind and exhaustion of body left him powerless....

_Samuel's Appearance._ 1 Samuel 28:15-25 15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, _even_ to David: 18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto this day, 19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand

SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR 1 Samuel 28:3 come from another document and interrupt the connexion, as will be seen if the account is read without them. In order of time their proper position is after 1 Samuel 30. In 1 Samuel 29:1 the Philistines are still in Aphek; in 1 Samuel 29:11 they advance to Jezreel, where we find them in 1 Samuel 28:4. In 1 Samuel 28:3 we have come to the eve of the battle, the account of which follows in...

ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 28 V1 Later, the *Philistines gathered their army to fight the *Israelites. Achish said to David, ‘You must realise that you and your men must join my army’. V2 David said, ‘Yes, I am your servant. You will see what I can do’. Achish replied, ‘Good. For the rest of your life you will protect me’. In those days, if people went to live in a different country, they had to fight in the army of that country. So David and his men had to join the *Philistine army. In verse 2, David’s reply to Achish was not very clear. David knew that he had to join the *Ph